Amnesty International Urges Secretary of State Clinton To Reveal Human Rights Commitments Received from Bahrain Crown Prince

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Amnesty International Urges Secretary of State Clinton To Reveal Human Rights Commitments Received from Bahrain Crown Prince

(Washington) — Amnesty International today urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to publicly state any commitments she received from the visiting Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa AL Khalifa. The human rights organization said the United States should not be a spectator to the deteroriating human rights situation in Bahrain.

“As a strong allay of Bahrain, it is the United States’ duty and responsibility to raise concerns about abuses and to secure meaningful commitments for improvements. The world should know whether the United States is taking the human rights situation in Bahrain seriously. There should not be one standard for Bahrain and another for other countries in the region,” said T. Kumar, International Advocacy Director in Washington.

Amnesty International urged the Obama Administration to demand that Bahrain:

*Immediately and unconditionally release anyone detained simply for peacefully expressing his or her political views in public, and ensure that the scores of protesters who have been detained some facing military trials, are granted immediate access to lawyers and family members.

*Allow the US Ambassador to Bahrain and other international trial observers to observe the military trials of opposition figures.

* Suspend U.S. security assistance and secure a commitment that no American weapons will be used against peaceful protesters.

* Immediately reinstate the over 2,000 people who have been dismissed or suspended from their employment in the public and private sector for have participated in the protests.

* Investigate and prosecute security forces who have committed abuses.